The Cahills go Crazy
by AthenaPersephone14
Summary: Sequel to Natalie Goes Crazy. Ali tries to get revenge on Natalie.
1. Prologue: A Threatening Phone Call

** Thank you to all who voted for a sequel. I realized that in "Natalie Goes Crazy" I never told what branch Amy and Dan belonged too. I decided to have Dan belong to the Ekaterina Branch and have Amy belong to the Janus Branch.**

** Now you're probably wondering why I set it up that way. Well, Dan seemed like a natural Ekat to me, but Amy struck me more as a Janus. To make this work, I decided that Dan and Amy's mom should be a Janus like Amy, and that their Dad should be an Ekat like Dan.**

** One more thing, I do not own The 39 Clues or any of its characters. I do own Ali, Meg, and any other character I choose to invent.**

**Natalie's POV**

I looked over at my boyfriend. I just _loved_ saying that, no _relished _it. We'd been together now for two months and I loved every minute of it. He was sitting on the window seat reading Skulduggery Pleasant for, I'm pretty sure, the fifteenth time. I turned my attention back to my sketchpad; a woman in Boston had ordered a wedding dress and it was due in a week and I hadn't even completed the designs!

Suddenly, the familiar tune of "Love Like This" by Natasha Bedingfield filled the room. It was the ring tone on my phone that played whenever my best friend, besides Dan, was calling.

"Hey Meg, what's up?"

"This isn't Meg." A chill ran through my body; it wasn't Meg on the other end. It was someone else. Someone very familiar…

"Who are you?"

"I thought you'd have guessed already." The silky voice on the other end purred.

"I don't know what you're-" Then it hit me. I _had_ heard that voice before. The person laughed and that was the clincher. It was Ali.

"How did you get this number?"

"Don't you remember?" Dan's almost-wife laughed again. You broke into my house and I caught you. So, you adlibbed and said that you wanted to show me your designs. I invited some of my friends over and we talked and I got your number on Speed Dial."

Of course! I actually hit myself in the head with the bottom of my palm. I did it harder than I meant to which caused Dan to look at me with a mixture of concern and alarm. I gestured to my phone, which meant _I'm busy, let's talk later_. He bought it and went back to his book.

"I remember. Now what do you want." Ali chortled again, and if it had been possible to smack someone over the phone, I would've done it.

"You'll find out!" she tinkled. "Oh and, don't mention this phone call to Dan. You wouldn't want anything nasty to happen to him." And then the phone went dead.


	2. A Trip to New York and Amy Cahill

**Yes Meheba, you can call me Athena. And, I don't think bad of you fro liking Ali. I like the bad guys too. :-)  
**

**Natalie's POV**

I sat there not really sure what I should do. What did Ali want from me? Probably some large sum of money. Then a horrible thought hit me: Ali had taken Meg's phone, but what if that hadn't been all that she'd done to my friend? She'd probably guessed that Meg had been helping me when I tried to sabotage her wedding to Dan. And she was rich. Ali had the means and the motive to take out Meg. On top of that she was threatening my boyfriend! I needed to talk to someone.

Obviously, I couldn't tell Dan; who knew what Ali might do to him! My parents were out of the question. They were against me dating Dan in the first place. Ian? He had a modeling gig in Brazil. That left only one person: Amy Cahill, Dan's older sister.

**Amy's POV**

**(the next day)**

"Hey Nellie, what's up?" I said as I walked into the apartment we shared in New York City. "The ceiling." My old au pair replied.

"Oh Amy," she called as I headed to my room, "you got a call. It's from the Cobra girl. You know, Dan's girlfriend? She sounded pretty upset. She wants to meet you at the Southwest corner of Central Park. I'd bring some sort of weapon if I were you; who knows what stunt she may pull."

I rolled my eyes. Nellie still didn't trust Natalie, but to be honest, I didn't completely trust her either. But she _was_ my brother's girlfriend and I trusted him. So, I semi trusted her.

"Don't worry Nellie; I'll be careful!" And then I was out the door getting myself into who knows what.

I found her sitting on bench. It looked like she'd been crying. Seeing my old enemy Natalie Kabra looking like this made me feel a little unnerved, she was usually so calm and poised, not tearful and scared looking.

"Hey," I told her as I slid down next to her. "Hi," she replied in a shaky voice. "You called?" It was if a dam had suddenly collapsed. Natalie burst into tears, which caused quite a few people to look curiously at us.

"What happened?" I asked as I rubbed the girl's back. "It's…it's about Dan." She choked out.

"Did he dump you?"

"No, it's nothing like that. Yesterday, I got a call on my cell phone. The number calling me was the number of my good friend, Meg. I picked answered it, but it wasn't her. It was Ali."

"You mean the Ali that tried to marry my brother for money?"

"That's the one. Anyway, she called because she wanted something."

"What?"

"She wouldn't say. But she said if I told Dan about it she… she" Natalie started bawling again. "It's all right Natalie. But what did Ali say she was going to do?"

"I…I'm not sure, but these are here exact words: 'Don't mention this phone call to Dan. You wouldn't want anything nasty to happen to him.'"

I stared at her. I know it was rude, but I didn't know what else to do. Dan's ex was threatening him and it sounded like she wanted revenge on Natalie for ruining her plans to marry him and take his money. It was a bad situation.

"Have you told anyone else?" I asked my brother's girlfriend tentatively; I didn't need another flood.

"No. Who would I tell? Ian's off modeling in Brazil, Mum and Dad haven't spoken to me since I started dating Dan, and Meg…" She broke off.

"What about her?"

"Don't you see?! Ali stole her phone! What if that's not all she did! She could of kidnapped her, or…or…" Natalie trailed off.

"Or she could have just hired someone to steal Meg's phone. I don't think Ali, no matter how mean she is, would actually kidnap someone." I could see that my words had calmed Natalie down some. So, I figured this was a good time to ask my other question.

"So, where is Dan?"

"He's at my country house in England." She replied. "He thinks I'm checking up at my New York City branch. Which actually, I am. I'll be popping down there this afternoon."

"Do you have somewhere to stay?" I queried. Natalie looked baffled that I'd asked.

"Yeah, at the Plaza."

"Well, you're welcome to stay at my place if you want?"

"Really?"

"Of course."

"Thanks, I'd like that." For the first time that day, Natalie smiled. I knew our conversation from before was far from over, but we'd discuss it later; nobody seemed to be in immediate danger. Then we got up, said goodbye, and went our separate ways.


	3. A Meeting of Madrigals

** Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Writer's block is a pain in the butt. Also, I apologize that this chapter is so short; the next one will be longer. And, thank you all for your wonderful reviews! They really make me smile! :-) **

**Amy's POV**

"You told her what?!" I sighed. "Nellie, listen she's Dan's girlfriend and she needed a place to stay, so I told her she could stay here."

"But Amy-"

"No buts, Nellie." My old au pair sighed and asked, "When's she coming?" I paused; I hadn't even thought to ask Natalie when she would be arriving. "I don't know." I walked away, glad of that I needed to get to work on my next book and not have to listen to Nellie grumbling under her breath as she cooked dinner.

In about an hour and a half our doorbell rang. "Amy, will you answer the door? If she pulls anything funny I think you'll be better equipped to handle it than I will." I did, and, no surprise, it was Natalie.

"Thanks again, Amy." She said as I helped her carry in her three bags. "Hi, Nellie." Natalie called as I lead her past the kitchen. My old au pair just grunted. "I don't think she likes me," Natalie confided once we were out of earshot of Nellie. "No," I lied," she's just in a bad mood." I think Dan's girlfriend saw through me.

In a few minutes we were all sitting around the kitchen table. I tried to talk with Natalie but, to be honest, it was kind of difficult. I didn't know anything about her and she didn't know anything about me. Nellie was no help. She went all mute on me and didn't say a single thing to Natalie. Needless to say, it was really awkward.

For a couple of minutes we picked at our Asian noodles, but then Nellie got up and said, "Amy, can I have a word? In _there_?" she pointed her head towards the hallway. I nodded and looked at Natalie as I followed my friend. She was staring at the napkin in her lap; she'd guessed what this was about too.

"What is it, Nellie?" I whispered once we were out of earshot.

"I can't take it! I keep…keep waiting for her to…I don't know, wave her dart gun at us of something!" I sighed, I seemed to be doing a lot of that lately.

"I can't pretend I don't feel the same way," I began. It _did_ feel really odd having our former enemy eating with us. "But, I do know that Dan trusts her and I trust him and I know you do too, so I think we should give Natalie a second chance."

I semi glared at Nellie letting her know that this was not a suggestion. She sighed. "Fine, but if there's any funny business, she outta here. Kapiesh? **(I think I spelled that wrong. If you know the real spelling please tell me! Thanks!)** I nodded and we went back to join Natalie to finish our food.

Third Person

**London, England**

**12:31 AM**

Janessa O'Rilleiy sat in the conference room on the top floor of the London Tower Hotel. It was owned and operated by the Madrigals and served as their London headquarters. Janessa was the leader of the England segment of the branch. She sat alone in silence. In a few minutes, the flat screen television on the far wall would flair to life bringing a message from the branch leader. The most important message ever sent. A message that would decide the fate of all Cahills.

**I know this is random, but I want to recommend some really good books. The first is called "The Angel Experiment" by James Patterson. (It's age appropriate .) It's about six kids who get genetically mutated. And when the people who mutated them kidnap one of them, they have to find her before she is killed. **

** The second one is called "The Merchant of Death" by D. J. Machale. It's about a boy named Bobby Pendragon who is whisked away on an incredible adventure by his mysterious Uncle Press.**

** Lastly, the third one is called "The Reformed Vampire Support Group" by Catherine Jinks. Obviously, it's about vampires. But in this book, vampires aren't glamorous or strong; they're sick and weak. However when of them is staked, they have to find the killer before they get murdered as well. Enjoy!**


	4. The Leader of the Madrigals

**I do not own The 39 Clues.**

**Natalie's POV**

I spent the rest of the week with Amy and Nellie. Surprisingly, it was a lot of fun. Nellie was pretty cold at first, but by the fourth night, she'd shown me how to make those Asian noodles from when I'd first come here. They weren't as good as when she'd made them but, as Amy eloquently said, "They pass." It was on the fifth night that everything changed.

We were doing karaoke to celebrate the completion of Amy's new book when my cell phone started to ring. It was playing "Love Like This." Meg's ring tone. Instantly, I stopped singing "Sk8er Boi" by Avril Lavigne and pulled it out of my pocket. Sure enough, it was my friend's number that appeared on the screen.

"I'll…I'll be right back." I called out and then I was running down the hall and into the room Nellie and Amy were letting me use. "Hello," I said, out of breath. "Natalie, is that you! Oh thank goodness! I thought she'd gotten you too!" It was Meg!

What proceed next was a long and detailed description by my friend about how Ali had indeed kidnapped her and used her phone to call me. "I was so worried!" Meg gushed, "I thought for sure that that witch Ali had kidnapped you as well to get revenge on Dan for dumping her. She even told me that's what she'd planned to do! Kidnap you! But then, BACKFIRE! I escaped and now you know!" That's pretty much how the whole conversation went.

In the end though, we decided not to press charges. At least not now. Meg assured me she wasn't hurt and Ali wouldn't have harmed her. She just did it to get at me. But if anything else happened, we would get the law involved.

After promising to meet me in New York City in a couple of days (She said she had something she needed to do first.), Meg said good-bye, I did too, and we hung up. Then I raced back into the living room to tell my two new friends the good news.

Third Person

**Brasilia, Brazil**

**12: 43 PM**

Despite the success of his modeling, Ian Kabra was not happy. For one thing, the director of shoot's dog had gotten into his dressing room and shredded hi favorite pair of silk, black pants. For another, it was too darn hot. Why wasn't there a way to air condition the whole country. _Now there's an idea_, Ian though to 'd have to bully some Ekat into making one.

But there was another reason. One that put all the others to shame. Even the thought of it disgusted him. Dan Cahill had called him last night. Ian was shocked until he learned the reason. He should have seen it coming.

His sister's boyfriend called to ask how he would feel if he proposed to Natalie. Of course, Ian told Dan he couldn't. He told him he wasn't good enough. He even threatened to sue him. It ended in a heated argument in which neither came away as the victor, but left Ian feeling indescribably angry.

It was because of this anger that he snapped at the girl walking past him in the hall. "Watch where you're going!" he snarled.

She didn't reply, but instead turned around to face him with her big green eyes. It was then that he saw that she was beautiful. Her dirty blonde hair was hanging loose and she was wearing light brown capris with a sea green shirt. A light spray of freckles decorated the bridge of her pale nose.

The girl stuck out her hand to Ian and said, "I'm Alissandra Drake and I have a proposition for you."

**Washington D. C.**

**12:30 AM**

The girl sat down in her comfy chair in her new home in The Free World's capitol. All was going according to plan. She'd booked Ian Kabra a modeling gig in Brazil, (under a false name of course) thus ensuring that the only person Natalie Kabra had to run to was Amy Cahill. Her contact had been able to persuade him to help her. (Of course he didn't really know what he was helping.) She'd sent out scouts to spy on various members of the all-powerful family. And, now all she had to do was inform her fellow Madrigals of the plan to take down the Cahills. She smiled to herself. Revenge was going to be sweet. Oh so sweet…

**You know how my last chapter ended with Janessa O'Rilleiy and other Madrigals about to receive a message from their leader? I know this is confusing, but that is happening at the same time as the Washington D. C. scene from this chapter. I know the times are wrong, but I have no clue how the time difference thing works. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! :-)**


	5. Phase I

The girl leaned forward and grabbed the remote of the lamp table next to her chair. _Time for the end to begin,_ she thought as she flipped on the flat screen TV in front of her. Across the world other TV's like this were doing the same. It was time for the meeting of the Madrigals to begin.

"I trust you all know why we are having this meeting." The girl began. Her image was being broadcasted to all of the Madrigal's TV's through a special camera. And when one of them spoke, they would appear on the screen. "The Cahills have grown powerful. Too powerful. And, it is time we put a stop to them." The girl paused before continuing. "So that is why I devised a plan to…shall we say…silence them." A picture of Ian Kabra appeared on the screen.

"Our Lucian informer has been able to gather us crucial information on the other branches as well as his own. With this knowledge, I have been able to develop a plan to destroy the Cahills that will not fail." Then a picture of Amy Cahill with the words "Target One" printed on the bottom replaced Ian's on the screen. "This, as you can see, is Target one. Her name is Amy Cahill and she is the leader of the Janus Branch. Right now she is in her apartment in New York City. She is defenseless and her old au pair, Nellie Gomez, is not a problem. Agent Dinsio," the girl addressed a man who was, right now, in his New York City apartment, "you will capture Target One and bring her to our stronghold in D.C."

The picture of Amy vanished only to be followed by one of her brother, Dan. He too had words emblazoned on the bottom of his photograph: Target Two. "Target Two is Daniel Cahill, brother to Target One. He is leader of the Ekaterina Branch. He is usually in the United States, but right now he is staying at the house of his girlfriend, Natalie Kabra, Target Four, in England. Ian Kabra tells us that the house is equipped with automated defenses that can be very deadly. Also, Target Two claims that he possesses Ninja-like skills. That may prove to be a hazard when subduing him. When he is passive, he is to be taken to our D.C. stronghold. Agent O'Rilleiy this task falls to you. You will not fail."

Across the Atlantic sea in London, Janessa gulped. If she failed she wouldn't get a second chance. Ever.

Next, a picture of Hamilton Holt filled the screen. Two words at the bottom dubbed him as "Target Three". "Hamilton Holt," the girl said. "Tomas leader and a big threat. He is extremely strong which may be a hindrance when abducting him. At this moment he is flying over Dublin. What weapons he has on him are unknown. Agent Miller, I want you to capture him and bring him to our stronghold in D.C."

Hamilton's picture faded away and Natalie Kabra's soon filled the screen. "Target Four should not be that difficult to procure. I will personally pick her up and take her to our stronghold."

There was silence. But then someone hesitantly asked, "But what about the Kabra boy?" The girl stared at the scrawny man's face that had replaced Target Four's. "He is already at our stronghold. Ian Kabra poses no threat. Now, do we understand the plan? We must not fail. Once all of the branch leaders are secure are at our D.C. stronghold we will commence with Phase Two of the plan." Then she reached over and grabbed to remote and turned the TV off.

Hamilton Holt was regretting his decision to fly with Happy Flight Airline Company. The food was bland, the seats were hard, and the bathroom smelled rotten eggs. _Oh well,_ he though to himself,_ who said Agents travel in comfort and style?_

The leader of the Tomas had just finished a reconnaissance mission in Northern Ireland. He was seeing if an abandoned mine could be fortified and used as a Tomas stronghold.

"Excuse me," Hamilton said in a fake British accent as he got up to use the bathroom. He had run into a girl around eighteen or nineteen. She had dark, tan skin and stared at him with very dark eyes. He slid past her and continued on towards the lavatory still feeling the heat of her penetrating gaze.

Hamilton plugged his nose against the potent stench of rotten eggs. _At least it's big._ The restroom was indeed a little bit bigger than average one. The branch leader was walking over to the toilet when he heard the door open behind him.

In the mirror by the sink he could see that it was the girl he had run into earlier. Didn't she know the bathroom was occupied? Hamilton was about to turn around to talk to her when he saw her pull something out of her handbag. A gun.

He slowly turned around with his hands in the air. They stood like that for a second but then Hamilton suddenly flipped through the air and landed right behind the girl. He spun around just as she did and his punch caught her square on the jaw.

She flew backwards but instantly righted herself. Then she was flying at him with a kick that sent him reeling. They circled each other, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Neither did.

The girl slowly began to back up towards the paper towel dispenser. Hamilton warily followed her. When she took a step back, he took a step forward. He watched as she cautiously pulled a match out of her coat pocket. Then, never taking her eye from his, she struck it against the wall. A flame flared up from the end causing her face to light up in a spectral way.

Ever so slowly, she raised the match and held it over the opening at the top of the paper towel dispenser. In that second what the girl as planning to do hit Hamilton with the force of a train.

The match. The rotten egg smell. It could only mean one thing: there was a bomb. The world seemed to stand still and Hamilton ran towards the girl, desperately trying to knock the match out of her hand. But he failed. She dropped the match and it sailed through the air and through the hole at the top of the paper towel dispenser.

The effect was immediate. The whole plane rocked and the room quickly filled with smoke, causing Hamilton to cough violently. He was doubled over gagging when he was hit. He didn't even feel the tiny dart as it hit his neck. In a few seconds everything went dark.

Dan Cahill missed his girlfriend. The house felt rather empty without her. He sighed and went back to reading his book, Ninja Swords and How to Use Them. Right now he was learning how to CRASH!

Dan jumped up and grabbed the Ninja sword he had gotten on Craig's List. He gripped it tightly as walked towards the sound. He turned the corner…and there was nothing there. Dan sighed with relief and leaned against the wall."It must've been the cat," he said to himself.

Dan turned around to head back to the library and found himself face to face with a masked figure pointing a tranquilizer gun at his neck. A single shot rang out through the hall and Dan Cahill collapsed into the arms of the Madrigal Agent.

Across the Atlantic Ocean in New York City Amy Cahill was getting ready for bed. Her old au pair had left for a cooking convention the day before and her guest and friend, Natalie Kabra, was on her way to meet her friend, Meg Hara.

For the second time that night Amy Cahill wrung out her wet hair. Only this time she used the kitchen sink instead of the one in the bathroom. She had just gotten out of the shower. Amy ambled over to fridge and pulled out an orange, her before-bed-snack. She reached into a nearby drawer and pulled out a bright orange orange peeler.

But then she tensed, sensing someone behind her. Amy spun around and lashed out at the person with the plastic peeler. The man reeled back in surprise, which gave the Janus Leader just enough time to slide around the island and run into the living room. She ducked under a glass table and immediately regretted it.

Her attacker picked up a vase and hurled it directly at the table. Amy had already partially slid out from under it when this happened but her leg was trapped under shards of pottery, splinters of glass, and fragments of wood. She stared helplessly at her attacker as he raised his gun, aimed it at her, and pulled the trigger.

I shivered, pulling my coat tighter against me. The New York air was much more frigid than in England. All the same, I was glad I was out here freezing my butt off; I was going to meet Meg!

Talking with Amy and Nellie had been nice, but Meg was different. She understood me on level that I don't think Dan's sister or former au pair ever will. That was why I was so excited to see her again.

My parents always told me not to let emotion bury your awareness. I'd always listened to them when I was younger, but now? In my elation I'd forgotten that helpful bit of advice. I wish I hadn't.

I felt myself yanked into a nearby alleyway. I tried to fight back but my attacker was too strong. They dragged me kicking and screaming into the alley. But, of course, no one stopped to help me. I screeched even louder hoping that someone, _anyone_, would help me. All I accomplished was getting a hand clamped over my mouth.

I grinned and chomped down on the hand. Now my attacker had reason to scream. I spun around and swung a punch at them. They blocked it and knocked me to the ground. Then they sat on my stomach and pulled out a tranquilizer gun just like the one I have.

I stared at the masked face trying to see if I somehow knew them. Not dice; it was impossible. The person aimed their gun and I tried desperately to think of a way I could somehow escape them. But I couldn't. They pulled the trigger and everything faded away.


	6. Escape

**Whew, this is the _longest _chapter I've ever written for _anything_. Anyway, sorry it took so long. I got Writer's Block, _again_, and I just got over it yesterday. **

**But, I hope you enjoy it! **:-D

**Dan's POV**

I woke up in a red, stone room with my face pressed into a gritty floor. "Are you okay?" I whipped around to see none other than Hamilton Holt leaning against the wall. Despite the huge, bloody welt on his forehead and the bruise on his cheek, he looked okay.

I nodded. "Do you have any idea where we are?"

"Not the faintest."

"So, what happened to you?"

"I was on a plane and when I went to use the bathroom someone followed me in. An enemy agent. We fought, but she was able to ignite a bomb hidden in the paper towel dispenser. Now it's your turn," he looked pointedly at me. "How do I know it wasn't one of your agents that abducted me?"

"Uh…maybe the fact that I was taken too?"

"Good point." Hamilton rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "How'd they get you?"

"They broke into my girlfriend's house. I went to investigate, they snuck up behind me, I turned around and it was lights out."

"Your girlfriend's Natalie Kabra right?" he queried. I was about to answer when suddenly the ceiling opened up revealing a man dragging someone over to the edge. He chucked the person into our prison and the ceiling immediately reformed.

"Amy?" I gasped when I saw who it was. "What are you?….How did you?…."

"How did I end up here with you and the Hammer?"

"Yeah."

"Hey!" 'The Hammer' sputtered out indignantly.

"Someone broke into my apartment. So I ducked underneath a glass table."

"You ducked underneath a glass table?!" I was laughing really hard now. My sister scowled before continuing, "Yeah, and I was crawling out from under it when he chucked a vase and it landed on the table. Then he shot me with his tranquilizer gun."

"One question," Hamilton said. "How come you're not unconscious? Dan and I were when they put us in here."

"I woke up when the guy who kidnapped me parked his car. I tried to fight but well…" Amy gestured to her leg and for the first time I noticed that shards of glass, pottery, and wood were embedded in her skin.

"Do you have any idea where we are?"

My sister paused before answering my question. "Well… when the guy dragged me out of his car, I _thought _I saw Abraham Lincoln, but I was still pretty dopey from the tranquilizer."

I still had a bunch of questions I still I wanted to ask my sister and I knew the Tomas leader did too. But we didn't have the chance because the ceiling opened up again and this time it was Natalie who was tossed down.

She landed right next to Hamilton who helped her up. I rushed over there to find that she was still pretty groggy from the tranquilizer dart the rest knew she'd gotten shot with. She mumbled something.

"What? Oh I get it. You're going to kill who ever did this to you." I had to smile; the fact that she was making threats meant that she'd be back to her old self in no time. None of us had time to say anything else because at that precise moment a hidden panel directly in front of us slid open to reveal Natalie's friend Meg. She staggered in.

"Meg!" my girlfriend called, the effects of the tranquilizer quickly wearing off. She ran over to hug her friend. Just as they were breaking apart, a tall, tan girl rushed into the room. She ran over to Meg and whispered something in her ear. Natalie's friend nodded and I saw Natalie herself go as white as a sheet. She looked at her friend with the most stunned face I have ever seen. "What did she just say?" Everyone present had to strain to hear it. Meg didn't answer; she only smiled.

"Did that girl just say that my brother was getting suspicious of you," she jabbed her finger right at Meg, "and that it would be best if you just disposed of him now and not later?!" Nobody had trouble hearing this.

There was silence for a few seconds and then Meg threw back her head and laughed. "Well, it looks like the great Natalie Kabra has finally caught on!"

"What do you mean!?" The girl laughed again. "Natalie, darling, threatening Dan, your kidnapping, I've been running it all the whole time."

**Natalie's POV**

_Meg did it. My best friend did this to me. _Those and similar thoughts were the only ones in my head. They raced around and I couldn't stop them. Dimly I heard Dan asking if I was all right but all I could see was the face of my best friend. No, my _former _best friend. Now, my enemy.

I took a step back and felt Dan's arms wrap around me. "Why?"

"Why?" Meg repeated. "Because I'm a Madrigal. The leader, in fact. And it's my job."

"Your job was to threaten her boyfriend?" Hamilton asked with scorn dripping from his voice. "That's why we're all here?" Meg smiled and replied, "No, Hamilton, that was just for fun. You're here because you need to die." Quicker that lightning, the newly discovered leader whipped a gun out of her jacket and pointed it at the Tomas leader. Only this time its bullets wouldn't just knock you unconscious. It was the real deal. Other Madrigals that had dribbled in did the same and pointed them at Dan, Amy, and myself.

We stood like that for a few seconds. I could here Hamilton trying to reason with Meg, but I was busy trying to find an escape route. Then I felt Amy nudge my foot and I nonchalantly glanced to write. She coughed and jutted her elbow towards something in the wall. I strained my eyes and could barely make out the faint outline of a door.

I in turn tapped Dan's foot and he got Hamilton. In a matter of seconds we had all seen it. I wasn't quite sure how we were going to get through it, but as it turned out my boyfriend already had it all figured out. He gingerly reached into his pocket and… "AAAUUUGGGHHH!" Dan let out a blood-curdling scream and threw something at the Madrigal who was pointing a gun at him. Instantly, he fell to the ground, blood spurting from a cut in his chest. With quick precision, the leader of the Ekaterina took out two more enemy agents before they reacted. But by that time, we were already out the door.

"So, what was that you threw at them?" I glanced at Dan. We'd gotten separated when we fled from the Madrigals. Neither of us had absolutely no idea where Amy and Hamilton were.

Anyway, he looked over at me and answered, "I'd gone to an antique shop the day before they got me and when I was there I bought this." He pulled a Plexiglas case inlaid with a black foam-like material. I could see three indentations as if something had been lying there for a long time. "What was in there?"

"Shurikans. It was lucky they didn't search me."

"Umm…not that I'm not grateful, but why did you have shurikans in your pocket?" He blushed, "I was...uh…practicing."

"Practicing for what?" My boyfriend turned an even darker shade of scarlet, looked at the floor, and stammered something unintelligible. "Daniel Cahill, were you trying to impress me?" He didn't need to answer; I could tell by the look on his face. I hugged him tight and whispered in his here, "I think your practice paid off. What you did back there was plenty impressive." And then I kissed him and he kissed me back and I almost forgot we were being hunted.

"Sorry to interrupt, but in case you haven't noticed, we're trapped in a building chock full of people who want to kill us." We jumped and broke apart to see Hamilton standing there looking a little embarrassed.

"Oh…um," I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, feeling my skin heating up. Luckily, Dan was blushing too. "Right, we need to get out of here," my boyfriend said. "Hamilton, have you found an exit?" 'The Hammer' was about to answer when suddenly there came a yell from our right. "THERE THEY ARE!"

"I think we should go that," Dan sagely informed us. "You think!" I yelled and then we were off. We sprinted down the hall, turned left, ran past a bunch of super high tech computer labs, but the Madrigals were still gaining on us. "WE'VE GOT TO LOSE THEM!" Hamilton yelled. He was right, of course. But there was nowhere where we could lose them. But then opportunity knocked. We rounded a corner and I had a brilliant idea.

I yanked open the nearest door and ran inside. The boys followed suit and Dan shut the door. "Natalie, what do you think you're doing?!" The Tomas leader furiously whispered. "We're going to get cau-" He silenced when he heard our enemies running down the hall. They…ran past and I let out a breath I realized I'd been holding.

"That was close, too close." Hamilton said. Dan and I nodded our heads. It was then that we took a look at the room that had saved us. We turned around and gasped.

"Oh. My. Gosh" was all my boyfriend could say.

"That has got to be the biggest…" Hamilton started but I finished.

"bomb I have ever seen."

**Amy's POV**

I pressed myself into the shadows of a doorway just before ten Madrigals ran past, quite a few of them carrying guns. I sighed, but knew I had to keep moving. Abruptly, I heard a voice from above whisper, "Amy, is that you?" Startled, I looked up to see a very familiar face staring at me through a heating vent…

"Ian?"

"Yes, now just hold on for a second." In a matter of moments he had pried the vent from the ceiling and was hold his hands down to me. "Come on!" He yelled in a whisper when I hesitated. "They'll catch you!" Unfortunately, he was right. I could already hear the footfalls of dozens of Madrigals pounding down the hall. So I reached up and grabbed his outstretched arms. Ian pulled me up and screwed the vent back on just as the enemy agents passed underneath us.

I leaned against the vent wall. "Thanks Ian; I would've been toast without you." He smiled that adorably charming smile that had always gotten to me and said. "No problem. It looks like all of the branches are going to have to work together on this one." I nodded and then, remember what Natalie had said before, asked, "What are you doing here? Before we started this crazy goose chase we found out Meg, Natalie's friend, was the leader of the Madrigals. And then we heard one of the Madrigals tell her you were getting suspicious and that they should kill you now. What did she mean?"

Ian stared at the floor a while before answering. "I was doing some modeling in Brazil when-"

"You model?"

"Is it really that surprising? I mean I've got the looks the talent…"

"Will you stop that?"

"Stop what?"

"Stop being so self-centered."

"I am not!"

"Are to!"

"Am not!"

"Are to!"

"Am n-"

"Fine! Whatever, you're not! Let's just get out of here." With that said, I took off crawling down the vent. He followed me and along the way he told me his story.

"So, Alissandra Drake approaches you, says her and her boss are low ranking Lucians who want to write a book about you, and you believed them?"

"Of course!" Ian sputtered out indignantly. "Who wouldn't want to write a book about me? I bet it'd be a bestseller."

"Yeah? And what were they going to call it? 'How to be an Idiot'?" I laughed before I realized I'd gone to far. Ian glared at me. "Look Amy, I just saved your butt back there and this is how you thank me? By treating me like dirt? What did I ever do to you? Huh? Is this like playback for something I did a long time ago? Cause if it is, I want to know about."

He sounded so sincere that I decided to actually tell him. "Two words: South Korea."

"Oh…that. Believe me Amy. I didn't mean to leave you. Well, actually I did, but after I… I realized my mistake. And then, you wouldn't talk to me and I got caught up in the chase and…after you won we just sort of fell away…" he concluded, staring at the floor of the vent waiting for me to say something.

When I didn't he tried again. "Look Amy, I…I'm sorry. Okay? There I said it. I, IAN KABRA AM SORRY ABOUT LEAVING AMY CAHILL TO DIE IN SOUTH KOREA!" I laughed and so did Ian.

"I don't think that's going to help us lie low and stay inconspicuous, Ian." I choked out through my laughter. "But…thanks. I'm not sure if you meant it, but thanks." His face fell but I ignored it and continued on down the vent.

It wasn't long before we heard several Madrigals walking below us. I moved up a few feet and found myself looking at the agents through one of the vents. I made room for Ian and we watched as two groups of Madrigals, one from the right and one from the left, convened under the vent. Leading the one from the left was the girl who had told Meg that they should take out Ian and the one leading the right was…

"Ali." I gritted my teeth. What she had done to my brother… I would have gotten lost in my thoughts had Ian not grabbed my arm and pointed towards the groups.

"….don't care what Meg says! It's all over in twenty minutes anyway! I say we just leave 'em!" Ali put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips before answering the tan girl. "Look, Andrea-"

"Ava."

"Ava, I get your point but…"

"But what? In twenty minutes that bomb is going to explode and we are still going to be here because our 'leader' can't not let them die by her own hands! And I, for one, am not going to sit back and _die_ just because she's weak!" Ava jabbed her finger in Ali's chest and walked off, her posse following her. In a few seconds, so did Ali and her group.

I glanced over at Ian. "Bomb?" He looked back. "I think things just got a heck of a lot more interesting."

"Amy, trust me. This is the last place they're going to look for us! I mean, who expects a couple of escapees to hide in a _security room_? Plus, if there is a bomb then we should be able to locate it from there."

"If there is?"

"Maybe they were bluffing; trying to draw us out."

"Whatever. I still think there's a bomb.

"Well, we'll know as soon as I pry off this vent." There was a loud crash as Ian dropped the vent and it plummeted to the ground. I winced, expecting the room to fill with Madrigals, but none came. "That was close, Ian. Too close."

Then I jumped out and landed in the room. It looked like your average run of the mill security space: a couple of computer that displayed different areas of the stronghold, some laptops, a few donuts, and a map… Wait a second, a map? I took a closer look to see that it was a _very _detailed diagram of the Madrigal stronghold…

"Ian!"

"Amy, I'm right here! There's no need to shout!"

"Ian, there's a map."

"A map! Why didn't you say so in the first place!"

"Ugh! You're impossible! How 'bout I find the way out of here while you poke around and see what you can find out about the bomb. Got it?" He nodded and went to work.

I sat down on one of those super cool office chairs you always have to spin around in when you go to Office Max and began to study the map. It was pretty intricate. According to the atlas, the stronghold had two floors and it looked like we were on the first. But I couldn't see how this place could've been hidden! It was the size of a city!

And the second floor? It was all divided into labeled squares. Reflecting Pool, Zoo, and Botswana to name a few. There was just something…not right about this whole setup. Something we were missing. Something crucial.

"Amy, you'd better see this." I ran over to Ian who pointed at one of the computer screens. A bunch of Madrigals were hurrying towards a wall which, when they pushed against it, slid to the side. They ran through it and it closed. Ian nudged me again and on another screen I witnessed a departure much the like the one I had just seen. We saw the same thing on about three other screens before Ian finally said, "It looks like they're running away. Maybe there really is a bomb." And then suddenly it clicked.

I ran back to the chair and grabbed the map. "Ian look, those people were running fast. Now that tells us that the bomb is big. Otherwise, they would only have to get out of the building. But because of their speed, we can assume that the bomb packs a lot of power. Therefore they need to get away ASAP."

Ian studied me and said, "I have absolutely no idea where you are going with this."

"The answer is simple really. Why would a branch blow up their own stronghold? Well, maybe it was built under something. Something important." I shoved the map in his face. "What stronghold do you know of that has a zoo? What about a Reflecting Pool or Botswana?"

"That's a country in Africa."

"Exactly."

"Amy, will you cut to the chase?"

"My point is that before I ended up here I woke up and thought I saw Abraham Lincoln."

"You saw Abraham Lincoln?"

"At the time, I thought I was hallucinating. But this," I waved the map in his face. "proves it.

"I'm confused."

"It all makes sense! This stronghold doesn't have two floors!"

"I know; you said that already. It's buried under something else."

"What place do you know of that has a zoo, a reflecting pool, Botswana, which is probably an embassy, and Abraham Lincoln?!"

"I don't know? Your capitol?"

"Exactly!"

"So you're saying that the Madrigal stronghold is built underneath Washington D.C.?"

"Yup." Ian whacked himself on the forehead and exclaimed, "The whole bomb thing makes sense now! With a really big bomb, you could take out an entire city!"

"Oh my gosh! Ian, look!" I pointed to one of the laptops. I hadn't noticed it before but now it was all I could see. On it printed in big red letters were the words: DETONATION IN 11:58, 11:57. 11:56…

I turned to face Ian and said, "In eleven minutes and fifty five seconds that bomb is going to explode and destroy Washington D.C. And unless Dan, Natalie, and Hamilton, show up, or our branches magically find us, we're the only ones who can stop it." He looked at me and said, "Then we'd better get started."


	7. The Death of a Friend

**Amy's POV**

"What do you mean you don't know how to defuse a bomb?! You Lucians are all about weaponry!" Ian blushed. "Yeah but…Well, you see…It's like…Wait a second. Are you saying that _you_ don't know how to defuse a bomb either?"

Now it was my turn to flush. "You little hypocrite!"

"Well, I wasn't raised learning how to work dart guns and things like that! You'd think you'd _at least_ know how to defuse a bomb!" None of us had time to say anything more because at that second somebody burst into the room. I saw Ian's eyes go wide and I spun around to see who it was. Meg.

* * *

**Ian's POV**

_Well isn't this great_, I thought sourly to myself. I finally get to talk to Amy, then she gets mad at me for not knowing how to defuse a bomb-who does?!-, and then,_ of course_, our new and ruthless enemy, Meg, had to show up.

She pushed aside her jacket and revealed a gun holster. The Leader of the Madrigals pulled out her gun and loaded it. "So, it all comes down to this. The stuttering, idiotic Janus Leader allied with the gullible and haughty Lucian boss **(A/N: I decided to give the leadership to Ian.)** versus the all powerful and in control Ruler of the Madrigals!"

Meg threw her head back and laughed. Which gave Amy the time to charge her. She wasn't expecting that which gave the Janus an edge, that and the fact that the gun had tumbled to the ground and slid under one of the computer tables. They wrestled; Amy slammed Meg onto one of the control panels, but the latter was able to turn things around.

"Ian…a little…help…here!"

"Oh…yeah!" I jerked Meg off of Amy, but she just swung around and punched me. Then she threw me on top of my new ally. For a second, time seemed to stand still. It was just Amy and I…me and Amy…with her reddish hair smelling like jasmine… I leaned down and…

"Ian?" I opened my eyes. Amy was staring at me with her intense green eyes widened in surprise. "Ummm…can you get off me? The fight?"

I blushed redder than a tomato. "Uh…yeah. Sorry." I got off her and helped her off the panel. We spun to my left to see that Meg was hurriedly typing commands into a computer. I leapt onto her like I wanted a piggyback ride. She reared back and we slammed into another desk. I looked up just in time to have her elbow driven into my nose, which promptly began to spurt blood.

"Aaauuuggghhh!" But, luckily, that pain gave me an adrenaline surge. I spun us around and smashed her face into the wall. Then I pulled back and did it again and again and again until I realized she was unconscious. I was about to do it again for good measure but then Amy intervened.

"Ian? It looks like Meg was setting up some fire walls to keep us from entering the system." I ran over to her to see that she was trying to log in to the computer that just a minute ago our enemy had been using. "She locked the keys; I can't type anything."

"I think I can fix that."

"Good, and then I should be able to hack into the system from there." I nodded and dropped down and crawled under the desk to examine the wires. Now we were getting somewhere.

* * *

**Natalie's POV**

"Well this is an exciting twist." I looked at Dan, wondering how he could be so calm. "Exciting?! We're trapped in room with a _bomb_ in a stronghold full of people who want to kill us!"

I loved Dan, but it was at times like this that I just wanted to strangle him. "Yes, exciting." He answered a little annoyed. "Now we have proof that the Madrigals are up to no good."

"Proof?! What about our kidnappings, the threat, oh and all the Madrigals that have been trying to kill us!"

"Well, in all the cop shows they need to have evidence!"

"This isn't a cop show, Daniel!"

Silence. I knew he hated when I called him that. He looked so mad but was having some trouble coming up with a good comeback. I'm not sure how things would've played out because at the moment, Hamilton stepped between us and said, "Look, can we please just focus on defusing this bomb? Because, I've got a very bad feeling about it."

I stared at my boyfriend and he gazed back at me and I knew that for now we were all right.

"Okay," I replied. "Let's get started." We fanned out around the room in search of something-_anything_- that might help us. Luckily, we found a solution pretty quickly. But it was also dangerous, _extremely_ dangerous.

Dan had found a walkway about twenty feet off the ground that went around the whole perimeter of the room. It also branched off every fourth of the way and each side path met in a platform directly above the bomb. Two staircases led up to the walkways.

Dan, Hamilton, and I convened on the platform where my boyfriend told us his plan.

"No, Dan. There us NO way I'm letting you do that!"

"Natalie, we don't have a choice! If this bomb goes off then we're all dead anyway!"

"But, there has to be another way!" I stared at my boyfriend, daring him to challenge me. However, it was Hamilton who spoke.

"Natalie, Dan's right. There _is_ no other way." A tear slid down my cheek as I realized he was right. Dan's plan was simple, but suicidal. He would open the hatch at the top of the bomb, climb in, and remove the detonator. He would then disconnect it from its power source and hope it didn't go off while he was holding it.

The Tomas Leader was also right when he said it had to be Dan; Hamilton was too big to fit through the opening and my boyfriend was better than this type of thing than I was. Dan was the only one who could do it.

I leaned over and hugged him tight. "Try not to die, okay?" He smiled, but I could tell he was scared. "Natalie, before I go and….do what I need to, I want to ask you something."

"Sure. Anything." I answered, wiping a tear out of my eye. He looked over at Hamilton; they seemed to be doing some mental communication thing. I glanced from to the, like you do at a ping-pong match, not sure who to stare at. They must have reached an agreement because the Tomas turned around so his back was too us. I turned my gaze back at Dan to see that he had gotten down on one knee…

"Natalie Alicia Kabra," Oh. My. Gosh. I was on the verge of hyperventilating. "If we don't die, will you marry me?"

Freeze. That's what that moment felt like. Me frozen as ice, staring the boy on his knee in front of me with a hopeful smile on his face. The boy who had helped me through so much. Who had taken me sky diving for the first time. The boy who'd been my best friend despite our past. The boy who'd…. I could go on and on and on.

"Natalie?" He asked his smile drooping slightly. He began to get up. "Look if it's too ear-" Dan didn't have time to finish his sentence because I hugged him with the force of a rampaging elephant. "Yes! Yes! YES! I will marry you Dan Cahill! I have never loved anyone more in my entire life!"

He spun me around and then kissed me. I could of kept doing that for hours and I know Dan-my fiancée!- could've too, but once again Hamilton had to intervene. "Look, I'm happy for you guys and all, but I really think we should defuse this bomb as fast as we can."

We broke apart, but this time I was unabashed. I snuck a glance at Dan to see that he was too. He took a deep breath and answered, "All right. Let's do this."

* * *

**Amy's POV**

"Got it."

"Thanks, Ian." As I began typing commands into the computer, he slid from under the panel and, pulled a seat over and began to watch me. In no time, I had gained access to all the plans the Madrigals had made, what they planned to do, etc…

"Whoa, Ian, it appears Meg had some crazy scheme that almost worked!"

"What?"

"Look! She planned to take out all the leading Cahills along with your sister! Then she was going to send Madrigals to the branches' strongholds and take over!"

I stared at Ian with wide eyes. "Ian, we have to figure out a way to stop that bomb! If it blows up, we'll be dead and the other Madrigals will attack!"

"But, didn't the Madrigals say they though Meg was weak? Maybe they think her plan is too."

"Ian! Why do you always have to take the opposite side! Even if you're right, we still have to defuse the bomb or we'll be blown up!"

"Right! How much time do we have?!" Simultaneously, we both turned to look at the timer. 7:02, 7:01, 6:59….

* * *

**Hamilton's POV**

"Dan! Be careful!" I glared at Natalie. "Will you be quiet? He doesn't need you yelling at him! Besides, he'll be able to concentrate better if you're not screamin'." Natalie shot me a hostile glower before turning her attention back to her fiancée.

For the next two minutes, I searched the room for any possible escape routes other than the door from which we'd entered. But they're weren't any. I was marching around the perimeter for the second time when I suddenly heard Natalie gasp. In a matter of seconds, I was with her on the platform. I even got a little nervous when I saw the reason for her acclamation.

Dan was now carefully climbing out of the hatch while holding the detonator. Time seemed to stand still as he cautiously maneuvered himself out oft the bomb and gingerly began to work his way down the side of the bomb. It took him two and a half minutes, but Dan made it. And-thank goodness-so did the detonator.

He looked up at us and grinned. "You made it!" Next to me, Natalie looked like she was going to pass out from relief. She meant to jump up and run to her fiancée, but I held her back. She glared at me until I said, "We're not outta the water yet. He's still got to disconnect it from the power source."

"Aaahh."

"Yeah."

You know how lots of times, scenes in movies happen in slow-mo? Well what happened next appeared exactly like that. As Dan made to step away from the bomb, he inadvertently tripped on a stone that was jutting up from the uneven ground.

Dan went flying backwards, but I wasn't paying attention to him; my eyes were fixed on the detonator. It sailed out of his grasp and into the air…

* * *

**Ian's POV**

"Okay, I found it." I was surprised, I never known that Amy was such a skilled computer hacker. But then again, it's not like I know her very well either. Just want to know her…

_Snap out of it, Ian! You. Do. Not. Like. Her! _

"What was that?" I turned my attention to Amy. She was looking at me curiously. "Did you say something?"

"Uh…no." I answered, my whole face turning scarlet. "Okay." She shrugged and went back to scanning the folder that contained all the information about the bomb. Suddenly there was a groan from behind us; Meg was waking up!

Both of us jerked our heads around to see the Madrigal leader getting up. Amy looked at me so I said, "I'll take care of it." And I did.

Since Meg was still pretty dazed, she didn't put up much of a fight. In no time, she was unconscious again. As soon as I turned my back though, I found out I was wrong. I felt a sharp blow to the back of my head and then everything went black.

* * *

**Amy's POV**

I heard Ian cry out and turned around just in time to have Meg punch me in the face. My swung back and crashed into the computer monitor, causing me to see stars. The next thing I knew, the Madrigal had lifted me up and was preparing to hurl me across the room.

But I wasn't about to let that happen. I slammed my foot against her knee and she buckled. I landed on top of her and dealt a quick jab to her face. In reply, Meg reared upward and head butted me. It hurt like crazy. But I used my pain to give me strength.

I punched my enemy twice more in the stomach, before she finally overpowered me. She had done so by smashing a chair over my head.

I was barely conscious as Meg tied me to one of the computer chairs. When I finally got my bearings, I noticed several things: the first being that our captor had her back to us and was talking on a cell phone.

"…don't care if the bomb's going to explode soon! Just get a car here as soon as possible!" I tuned her out and turned my attention to the rest of the room. The second thing I saw was that Meg hadn't messed with the computer I'd been using; everything was as I'd left it! If only I could untie myself…

The last thing I noticed was by far the most important: our captor had neglected to tie Ian up. He was just lying there bleeding from a cut above his eyebrow. If I reached out with my foot, I could just barely nudge him. Would it be enough?

"Uuuggghh…"

"Shhh, "Ian! Or Meg'll hear us!" He quieted. And once he'd woken up more, I told him my plan. Ian nodded and went back to looking unconscious. But not before glancing at the timer. 2:06, 2:05, 2:04… This had to work. We would only have one shot.

"Hey, Meg!" I called out. "I hear all the other Madrigals abandoned you because they thought you were a weak leader!" I saw her stiffen. She said, "I've got to go; I'll call you back," into her phone and snapped it shut before turning around to face me.

"What did you just say to me?"

"I said, 'YOU'RE WEAK'!" Here's a helpful hint, if you ever find yourself tied to chair in a room with a person who's plan to blow up a major city is about to become a reality, insulting them is a _great_ way of keeping them distracted. And a great way to get yourself hurt.

Meg marched over and punched me so hard I got whiplash. "Do you still think that, _Amy_?"

"No," I answered thickly. (She'd give me a bloody, possibly broken, nose.) "I just think you have anger issues." That was the wrong thing to say, well, actually in my case, it was the right…

Right or wrong, it earned me a kick in the ribs. While I was doubled over in pain, I took the opportunity to squint through my lashes at Ian. He was snaking his way towards the computer…

"Now, Amy, I don't want to have to hurt you anymore," Meg said, with faux sweetness dripping from her voice. "So, let's just gag you…" From her pocket she produced a filthy looking rag and made to tie it around my mouth. As soon as she close enough, I clamped down as hard as I could on her fingers. She screamed, but I didn't relent. Even when her sickening blood began to fill my mouth.

"AAAAAHHHHHH! LET GO YOU FILTHY JANUS!" Meg tried to pull her hand back, but I didn't let go. However, when she was as far away from me as she could get, I did release her and she stumbled backwards. Right into Ian. She gasped and spun around. "You were unconscious!" He smirked and replied, "Well, obviously I'm not now." Then he slugged her.

She tumbled into me, knocking me down. It was then, on the floor by the timer, that I saw how much time we had left: 20 seconds. "IAN! WE HAVE TWENTY SECONDS!" He stared at me, eyes wide before nodding. Then he went to work on the computer. "FIFTEEN SECONDS!" Meg and I were now wrestling on the ground: she was on the bottom and I was on top.

"TEN SECONDS!" The Madrigal reared up and I was thrown off her and into a nearby computer panel. She was on me in a second. I punched her and her head shot back, but Meg used her position to head butt me. I managed to glance at the timer. "IAN! YOU'VE GOT FIVE-" But I didn't have time to finish my statement, because at that moment, we heard a explosion somewhere in the building.

* * *

**Natalie's POV**

"Dan!" I screamed, but there was no reply. All had been going according to plan, until, that is, the detonator had flown out of my boyfriends grasp. Luckily though, it hadn't been _inside _the bomb when it exploded, so it wasn't very big. Just big enough to shake up this room; parts of the walkway and platform had fallen to the floor and chunks of ceiling had rained down on us.

"Dan! Hamilton!" No reply. I tried to get up, but a sharp pain shot through my right leg. Gingerly, I felt it and came to the conclusion that it was broken. It was then that I realized this was not where I had been standing when the detonator exploded. I had been thrown several feet. Suddenly, I heard someone moan, "Ugghhh."

I dragged myself towards the sound praying and hoping that it was my fiancée. When I reached the source, however, I was somewhat disappointed; it was Hamilton. "Ugghhh." He groaned again. "Hamilton, are you alright?" Hearing my voice must have awoken him, because he opened his eyes blearily and said, "Never been better."

I laughed and answered, "Glad to hear it." I helped him up and in turn he put an arm around my waist and supported me so I could walk. With my arm around his shoulders, we slowly made our way to the platforms edge.

We looked down, but there was no Dan. "Dan!" I screamed, but I got no answer. "DAN!"

"It's all right, Natalie. We're going to find him. Everything's going to be all right." I found myself nodding. Then we cautiously descended the stairs that led to the floor.

Hamilton and I probably spent about a minute or two sifting through debris before I spotted him. "There! I found him! I found him!" The Tomas gently set me down before making his way the chunk of ceiling I was pointing at. Sticking out from under it, you could just barely see his shoes.

Very slowly, Hamilton began to pull the chunk of ceiling off of my fiancée. To slowly. So, I started to drag myself towards them. By the time I was a few feet away, Hamilton had been able to pull the hunk of rock (The ceiling was made of rock.) off of Dan. I actually started to cry when I saw him; he had a big bloody gash on his forehead, part of his Ulna was jutting out of his arm, and everywhere there were cuts, bruises, and scrapes.

I watched fearfully as Hamilton reached down to feel Dan's pulse. He paused for a second with his fingers on his neck and when the Tomas looked back at me I knew the answer; he didn't need to speak it. But he did anyway: "I'm so sorry, Natalie. But Dan…he has no pulse."


	8. A New Leader

**I do not own The 39 Clues. Nor do I own the definition of 'coma'. That belongs to the wonderful and extremely useful .**

Coma. [koh-muh]

-noun, plural, mas.

A state of prolonged unconsciousness, including a lack of response to stimuli, from which it is impossible to rouse a person.

I slammed the dictionary shut. 'Coma, prolonged unconsciousness, lack of response, impossible to rouse.' My fiancée summed up in a few words.

When Dan had dropped the detonator, part of the ceiling of the room we'd, Hamilton, Dan, and myself, had been in had collapsed, crushing Dan, my boyfriend turned fiancée. He'd died, but due to some miraculous CPR preformed by Hamilton, he'd somehow lived until we got him to the hospital. It was there that'd we'd lost him again.

But the doctors and a set of defibulators were able to revive him. After that, Dan had gone into surgery. They nearly lost him, but he pulled through. We all thought it was going to turn out all right, but that was before the coma.

He'd slipped into it shortly after surgery. He showed no signs of waking. That was one week ago. My fiancée was in a coma and I didn't know if he would ever wake up.

"Hey." I glanced up, surprised to see my brother. "Hey, yourself. Aren't you supposed to be in Paris?" He shrugged and stared at the ground. "I…uh…yeah. But I cancelled."

"You cancelled on the biggest fashion show in your career? The one you've been babbling about for years? The one you'd always hoped to be included in?" Ian studied the ground again and shuffled his feet. What was up with him?

"Well…uh…Amy's got- What's so funny about that?"

"Nothing!" I replied gleefully. "Go on!" He watched me warily, as if unsure I meant it. When I didn't do anything major like scream "I TOLD YOU SO!", I'd been teasing him about her for _years_, he continued. "Uh…Amy's got this book signing and I thought I'd…you know surprise her."

"Because your presence is such a gift?"

"Exactly!" Ian looked relieved, like he'd been hoping I would say just that. Honestly, sometimes I wonder… "So you and Amy…"

"It's not like that!" He yelled as fast as he could, causing all the nurses, doctors, and patients- we were in the hospital, Dan's room to be exact- to turn around and stared. Once they had turned around, I seized the opportunity to pounce, figuratively of course, on my brother.

"Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight. But, you _want _it to be." He flushed scarlet and stared intently at the floor. I was _so_ good. "Look, you won't tell her right? I mean, we're kind of friends now and I don't want to lose that. Plus. I don't even know if she likes me back!" Ian looked so nervous and sincere I just had to laugh.

"Well, good luck, Ian. You're going to need it!"

"What," he said, faking hurt. "you think I can't get Amy Cahill to fall for me?"

"Well…."

"I'll let you know, I really am serious this time! I really do like her! Heck, I'd even marry her!"

Marry her. Amy would be my brother's bride. I was going to be a bride. I turned my attention to Dan; it didn't look like I would be one now. There was a lull in the conversation, but then Ian caught on.

"Oh, Natalie I didn't mean…it's not like….I…I shouldn't have even mentioned it!" He muttered something under his breath. "Don't worry, Nat. Everything's going to be all right. Dan _will_ pull through. I promise."

Finally losing it, I replied, "How can you promise, Ian? How?!"

"Well I-"

"Dan is in a coma! A _coma! _The doctors aren't sure he's ever going to wake up! You can't promise ANYTHING!"

"Natalie, I-"

"Get out! JUST GET OUT!" And so he left me sitting on a chair next to my fiancée, crying the next Mississippi River. He'd only tried to help me. To comfort me. And what had I done? Screamed at him to get out. Some sister I was.

But that was the wrong thought to think; it just made me sob harder. "Oh, Dan, I wish you were here!"

* * *

At the urging of Amy and Ian, I started seeing a grief counselor. Her name was Mira and she had a surprising bubbly personality. Not at all like the therapists you see on TV. Not once did she ask me "And how do you feel about _that_?" Thank heavens; if she did I think I would've shot her with my dart gun. (Even after all these years it was still my weapon of choice.)

But no matter how bubbly or unprofessional Mira was it was still a chore to go her. She just wasn't helping me, plain and simple. If anything, I was getting worse. I wanted, no _needed_, Dan. Instead of him needing me, it was the other way around.

I became zombie-like. Nothing could hold my interest. I didn't like to sleep because my mind was attacked by nightmares. Never was I hungry, so Ian and Amy had to force me to eat. I spent all of my days in Dan's hospital room, hoping against hope that he would return to us. But he never did.

One day Amy and Ian came to see me, but I wasn't really in the mood for talking. So that sat there a while and said some words to Dan (Sometimes a person in a coma can hear you.) and left. A few minutes later, I exited to go to the bathroom and as I striding towards my destination, I heard some very familiar voices. Amy and Ian's. I crept towards the partially open door they were coming from and strained to hear what was being said.

"…worried about her. She doesn't eat or sleep! She just sits there all day!" Ian was talking about me! The voice of Dr. Franklin, the doctor taking care of Dan, answered back. "She may be suffering from depression. Does she have a grief counselor?"

"Yeah." My brother answered promptly. "But depression…?"

"Well, if what you say is true, and I've seen it for myself, then it does appear that your sister, Natalie is depressed. Has she shown any signs of suicide?" Suicide! I stumbled forward, crashing through the door. I stared up from the floor where I'd fallen into the startled and worried eyes of Amy, Ian, and Dr. Franklin. "I-I"

"Natalie, look…" Ian tried, finally finding his voice. "It's not what you thi-"

"I gotta go!" I jumped up and took off running down the hall. "Natalie, wait!" A voice screamed behind me. But whether it belong to Dan's sister, the doctor, or my brother I wasn't sure. But I am sure of one thing: I didn't listen. Soon I was out the door and down a couple streets and far, far away.

* * *

I awoke to darkness. Absolute darkness. Panicking, my fingers took on a life of their own and fumbled for a light switch. They didn't find one. Where was I?

As if reading my mind, a female voice answered, "You are in Lendeheim, Germany. **(A/N: Sight of the Itex HQ in Max Ride in case you're a fan. I am. Fax forever!)** It's precisely two thirty-two in the morning and you are a miracle."

"Excuse me?" Suddenly a light flared, blinding me. "You heard me: a miracle. You just woke up from a coma that no one thought you would make it out of." A _coma_? What was that again? Oh yeah. When someone is like unconscious for a long time and can't be woken up. And I was in one of them! How had that happened?

I scanned my brain, searching for a memory that would answer that important question. But I didn't find any. Not a single one. It seemed my mind was just one big, vacant hole. I had no memories.

I didn't know who I was or where I came from or what I looked like. I didn't even remember having a family. What was that called again when you lost all your memories? Am, an, amnasa, amnesa…no amnesia! Yeah, amnesia! That was it! Amnesia! I had amnesia!

"Ummm…I know this sounds weird, but can you tell me what my name is?" The girl laughed. "Of course! Your name is Daniel Cahill and mine is Meg Hara." Meg Hara. Meg….Hara. Hmmmm. That name sounded familiar. Where had I heard met Meg Hara before?

"Uh, why am I here?" The girl, Meg, chortled again before replying. "Well, Dan you see you and I are the leaders of a group called the Madrigals…"

To be continued in "The Madrigals Go Crazy."


End file.
